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February 16, 2009
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Monday
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Safar 20, 1430
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Relief package for rain-hit growers on the cards
Bureau Report
HYDERABAD, Feb 15: The senior member of the Board of Revenue for Sindh, Ashfaq Ahmed Memon, has said that the Sindh government is actively considering a relief package for the growers of nine districts of upper Sindh to compensate damage caused to their paddy crops by heavy rain.
He was speaking at a meeting with Sindh Chamber of Agriculture office-bearers at its secretariat here on Sunday.
He said that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has directed him to prepare proposals for the relief package in consultation with growers and their organisations and he was here to collect their proposals.
He said that provincial government has already postponed the recovery of all revenue taxes in the affected districts, including Larkana, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Ghotki, Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze and Dadu.
He said that the standing paddy crop on about 1,035,290 acres of land was damaged in the districts, causing losses to 30,000 growers.
He said that a high level meeting has also been convened by Sindh chief secretary on February 17 in which relief package to the affected growers would be discussed in the light of the recommendations of the growers.
The office-bearers and members of the SCA recommended total remission of revenue, land and drainage taxes, instead of postponing the recovery. They proposed that the Zarai Taraqqiati Bank and other commercial banks may be directed to provide interest-free loans up to Rs10,000 per acre to enable the growers to purchase inputs for next crops. They recommended that the farmers’ loans up to Rs500,000 be waived.
They demanded that the Pakistan Agriculture Supply and Storage Corporation be directed to purchase their paddy crop while Sindh Seed Corporation should make available at least four million kilograms of certified paddy seed.
Besides, efforts be made to supply two million bags of DAP and zinc fertiliser to the growers, they demanded.
Mr Memon assured the growers that he would bring their problems to the notice of the authorities concerned and expressed the hope that the government would provide relief to the farmers due to their losses.
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